News

Vive la France! French café launched in Durham

(28 January 2009)

Durham University is bringing a taste of the Continent to the North East by launching Durham’s first French Café.

The Durham French Café, hosted by the city’s Gala Theatre, aims to encourage Francophiles across the region to come together and celebrate their love of all things French. Held in Gala’s café, Intervals, the French Café is set to run once a month until March and is an opportunity for native French speakers and anyone interested in France and French to meet. The café not only provides opportunity for people to practice their French, but also celebrates French culture with the showing of French films in The Blue Room as part of Monday World Cinema. The next French Cafés will be held 6pm to 8pm on Monday February 9 and Monday 16 March. On Monday 9 February, Monday World Cinema will show the French film, Bienvenue Chez Les Ch’tis (12A), the comical story of a post office manager from Provence who is relocated to a small town in the north. The café is part of a European Union funded project which has seen Language Cafes successfully set up all over Europe. The first café event, held earlier in January, proved a huge success, attracting almost 80 people. Dr Simon McKinnon, one of the café’s organisers and a teaching fellow in Durham University’s French Department, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for people to use their French in a relaxed and informal setting, as well as being a great way to meet new people. “The first café was a great success. Most importantly, there was a really good mix of students and local people. Everyone's looking forward to the next French café in February.” Gala Director, Simon Stallworthy said “It’s a great way for Gala to build closer links with the University and the wider community. We are delighted to be involved in such an exciting new community opportunity.” Details of film showing times can be found on Gala’s website at www.galadurham.co.uk or by contacting Gala Box Office on 0191 332 4041.